PM: Did a good warm up. Today was the 5K time trial to see who fills the spot on the Ekiden A team. I was feeling really rested and very good today. The temperature at race time was 27C (80F) and 61% humidity. The sun was out, which made it feel hot, especially in the track. I was hoping for clouds. It was cloudy all morning, but the sun came out just before we ran. Everyone ran the time trial today except two of the girls who are already on the A team. They are preparing for a big road race this weekend. My strategy was just to try and stay with the top runners as long as I could. I felt really good in the race. In the last two laps I started dropping back, it was me and jun chan together. We both crossed the finish in 16:56, but Jun chan edged me out by a nose at the end. It was a big PR for me. First time under 17 minutes for 5K. But it will not be enough to make the A team. There is a 1st year student (equivalent to a sophmore in the US) who was faster than both Jun chan and me. Tomorrow will be the announcement of the teams. Did a cool down run after the race. I am really tired. This evening, my parents took me out to dinner. They know how hard I have been working for this and even though it didn't exactly work out as I had hoped, I got a PR and they said that all of my hard work deserved a celebration. Tomorrow, official team practice begins. | 